CH 6

Shen Qi felt that Shen Zhonghua was very abnormal and the orders given to her were becoming more and more abnormal.

For example, he ordered her to not get up before sishi. For breakfast, she had to drink soup and eat meat. Clothing, she wasn’t allowed to wear the kind of narrow-sleeved and Song-style trousers that were convenient for her to use before. Instead, he let her wear the fragrant, soft, cloud gauze that she had never worn before. Even the hair could no longer be tied with just a hairband into a bun like before. Rather the hair must be combed into a bun and wear the jewelry and hair ornaments that he gave.

(T/N: sishi - 9-11 am. Below is a picture of Song-style trousers.)

Yes, these days there’s been a steady stream of rewards sent to Fanghua Garden. There were jewelry, hair ornaments, silk satins, and rouge gouache. Those things that Shen Qi had never seen before or she had only seen in Su Lianxue’s place that Shen Zhonghua had all rewarded her. And letting her stay in the Fanghua Garden was also an order of Shen Zhonghua.

Shen Qi didn’t understand what Shen Zhonghua was going to do in the end. She even had nightmares and dreamed that Shen Zhonghua suddenly treated her like this was because the marriage had come in advance. He wanted to change her identity in advance and let Su Lianxue replace her to marry the infamous man in the Northern Country.

Waking up from the nightmare, Shen Qi was sweating coldly. In the next few days, she was even more nervous. Everytime she went to find Shen Zhonghua, Shen Zhonghua always told her with his deep eyes: "This is an order."

In the evening, Shen Qi was still very unaccustomed to letting Ling Jiao and Lian Xiang wait on her after washing. She was worried and prepared to lie down in bed, but Leng Xing came over and knocked on the door. His face was too wonderful and hesitated for a very long time before saying: "Shen Qi, you go see the Prince."

(T/N: yōuxīnchōngchōng - deeply worried and sick at heart (idiom))

When Shen Qi heard it, her heart went “ba-dump”. She always felt that it would eventually come, but she didn’t know what calamity would befall and was afraid.

"Let the slave help the girl dress up?" Ling Jiao and Lian Xiang were especially enthusiastic.

"No need." Shen Qi had no intention of dressing up. She worriedly wore clothes, even the belt was tied wrong and was still Ling Jiao who helped her re-tie it again.

Shen Qi followed Leng Xing to the Suyuan Pavilion. The lantern was bright and the door was unlocked. Leng Xing stopped at the door and gestured to Shen Qi to go in.

Shen Qi pushed open the door, harbored nervousness and tentatively called out: "Prince."

No one answered her. However, Shen Qi personally learned martial arts and naturally had a strong hearing. She heard the faint sound of existing water so she walked over following that sound.

"Prince?" Shen Qi pushed aside the beaded curtains. Shen Zhonghua wasn’t in the bathing pool at all. Shen Qi vaguely felt wrong. She crouched down, tried to test the water temperature with her hand and found that the water was cold.

The vigilance of a person that died for made Shen Qi suddenly brandish the dagger hidden in her sleeve. She put on light steps. Her brows were slightly raised. Her eyes were like a cat hunting in the dark night and walked step by step following the wet footprints on the ground.

"Qiqi......" Suddenly someone called. Shen Qi turned quickly. The speed was extremely fast. During the turning, the dagger she held in her hand had already arrived at that person's throat.

The person that suddenly appeared wasn’t someone else. It was Prince Xuan, Shen Zhonghua.

"Prince......" Shen Qi was terrified, but fortunately, her skill was very good. She shot quickly but also stopped quickly so she stopped the momentum of the dagger in time and didn’t slash down Shen Zhonghua's neck.

Shen Zhonghua’s fine, black hair wasn’t tied and hung down on one side. His wet, fine, black hair made the clothes covering his body soaked and faintly discerned the drawing of the outline of his stature silhouette. The loose lapel exposing his long and narrow collarbones even more and there were water droplets sliding down his chest. (tenderflower: ? Mmm... sexy indeed~)

Angry, she didn’t dare to look. She collected the dagger and lowered her head. As soon as her body sank to kneel, she gave Shen Zhonghua an attitude, saying: "Prince, forgive my sin!"

Of course, Shen Zhonghua held up her hands, not letting her knelt down and used a tone of voice that Shen Qi had never heard before to call her: "Qiqi......"

He also asked her: "Qiqi...... you...... why did you come......?"